Defecator with combined flushing jet and air break



May 28, 1940. 2,202,628

DEFECATOR W-ITH COMBINED FLUSHI'NG ET AND AIR BREAK W. C. GROENIGER Filed Sept. 11, 1937 INVENTOR W1! am C.Gro ni er TTORNEY m w m a a ofwgwa mm Patented May 28, 1940' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEFECATOR WITH COMBINED FLUSHING JET AND AIR; BREAK.

Application September 11, 1937, Serial No. 163,383

1 Claim..

My present invention relates to improvements in defecators.

The invention is applicable to defecators, inclusive of Water closet bowls, urinals, hospital and other sinks, dental, medical and other sanitary bowls and other receptacles, provided with suitable means for the supply of water or other suitable efiluent, such eflluent afiording under sanitary conditions a mass of fluid for the well portion of the defecator, serving to receive solid and/or semi-solid and/or fluid matter to be evacuated, and for the further purpose of flushing the defecator to discharge such flowable mass into a soil pipe or equivalent.

It is now known to those skilled in the art-that in defecators of the classes described, and particularly those in which a passage communicates with the source of flushing water from below the rim level of the defecator, the circumstance of a vacuum or condition of sub-atmospheric pressure in the source of flushing water supply may cause a cross connection between the contents of the defecator and the stated water supply, and through siphonic or other vacuum-induced flow, the contents of the defecator may be drawn into the flushing water supply line. -As the flushing water supply generally is derived from the potable water supply of the building or residence in which the defecator is located, it is obvious that the absolute elimination of any possibility of such cross connection is of the utmost importance.

This invention is directed to the absolute elimination of cross connection induced by vacuum or sub-atmospheric pressure in the flushing water supply line, regardless of the level of water in the defecator. Particularly, the invention is directed to air-gap means for maintaining balanced atmospheric pressure in the water supply inlet channel and above the overflow spill level, thus positively precluding siphonage of the contents of the defecator into the water supply distributing system under any conditions of operation, including absolute vacuum in the water supply line.

In this invention, the means for admission of flushing water or other effluent to the defecator for purposes of the evacuation and scouring thereof, include a chamber or receptacle into which the flushing water is first introduced, and from which it is distributed to the bowl of the defecator. It is a feature of the invention that a substantial volume of the stated chamber extends above the overflow spill level or other maximum possible water level of the evacuator, said water level contemplating a condition whereby a stoppage in the evacuator or soil pipe prevents the discharge of water in the normal manner and permits the flooding and/or overflow of the defecator. It is an additional feature that a free and at all times unrestricted passage leads from a pointnear the top of the chamber to an at all times free and unrestricted opening or over-rim discharge port communicating with the atmosphere, said port presenting means whereby a portion of the flushing water is discharged into the evacuator from above the maximum water level thereof.

It is also a feature of, this invention; that the relationship of the over-rim discharge port to the maximum water level of :the defecator, said maximum level being known as the overflow spill level, is such that under any and all conditions, inclusive of absolute vacuum within the flushing water supply line, and inclusive of all degrees of wave formation or similar surface displacement of the liquid within the defecator bowl, the free entry of air into the stated chamber and/or the water supply means in suflicient quantitesfor the immediate dispersion, of, a vacuum therein, is assured, and by corollary, cross connection between defecator' and flushing water supply is positively prevented.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is 'a sectional view of a defecator em bodying my invention; i

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the defecator bowl; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the defecator bowl,

taken on the lines 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the bowl l and the therewith 'coordinated. parts are representative of any suitable form of, defecator adapted to my invention.

The bowl H1 is shown comprising generically an upper portion II and a lower or well portion l2. The normal. level ofthe mass of water 13' or other matter-receivingand efiluent fiuid within the bowl, is indicated at M. Such mass of fluid serves as the trap-sealing-fluidl Suitable means, inclusive of a trapway or upflow leg l5 and a dam or weir I6 efiective to seal a portion of the mass of the efiluent in the trapway l5, are desirably integral with the bowl, weir l5 establishes the normal bowl fill level.

The upflow leg is afforded by the inwardly disposed ledge l8 extending downwardly toward the well portion l2.of the bowl said ledge forming a rear wall of the bowl. The upper rearward portion of the upflow leg, 15 is defined by the septum l9 terminating in the wall formation of a discharge opening which communicates with a downflow or evacuator leg 20; said leg 20 is arranged to be suitably connected with a soil pipe or equivalent (not shown), at the discharge opening 22.

The source of flushing water or other efiluent is represented by the pipe 24, which enters a flushometer valve 26, from which valve 26 a pipe 28 communicates with the defecator. The stated flush valve 26 may be of any conventional de sign, during the operation of which the valve disc 30 is raised from the valve-port 32 to afford flow of a quantity of flushing water into the defecator. As will be noted in Figs. 1 and 2, introduction of the flushing water into the bowl of the defecator may be effected through suitable flow directing means, such as the compartment 34 which communicates through suitable channels with the rim channel 36, and lower bowl-channels 38, any one or all of which may terminate below the normal fluid level l4 of the bowl l0, and any or all of which may be below the overflow spill level or other maximum level of the defecator, said level being indicated by the broken line 40 of Figs. 1 and 3.

It is to be noted from Figs. 1 and 3 that the overflow may reach a level 40, above the upper surface of the rim 42 of the defecator bowl, the actual height of such overflow spill level being independent on the surface tension of the effiuent and/or the flushingliquid, physical condition of the surfaces of the rim 42, etc., and under certain circumstances may be as much as three-eighths of an inch above the upper surface of the rim 42.

In certain presently accepted forms of defecator, a condition may exist whereby, in the event of conditions including sub-atmospheric pressure in the flushing-water feed pipe 24, a siphonage of eiiluent from the bowl ill of the defecator into the feed line 24 may occur. In such event, the line 24 may serve as. the long leg of the siphon, and passages 34, 36, 38 and pipe 28 or equivalent may form the short leg.

In this-invention, means are provided to positively prevent such siphonage regardless of the height of effluent within the bowl, inclusive of its overflow spill level, and regardless of reduced pressure conditions, inclusive of absolute vacuum, within the flushing water supply system. To this end, there is provided a chamber 44, which may include the stated compartment 34, into which chamber 44 the flushing water or other liquid may be initially introduced, and from which it passes through the stated passages tothe bowl to effect evacuation of the materials therein. The admission of flushing water to the chamber 44 may be from the top,as shown in Fig. 1, or from any lateral location of suitable height above the maximum overflow spill-level 40.

In a most preferred embodiment of my invention, as illustrated herein, the chamber 44 is formed. integrally with the defecator, and is defined in part by a wall 46 which may be a vertical continuation of ledge l8, and in part by side walls 48, 50, which extend forwardly of wall 46 as indicated clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The wall 46 preferably terminates short of the upper wall surface 52 of chamber 44, thus forming an atall-times-open passage 54 between the atmosphere and the chamber 44. A downwardly and preferably inwardly curving extension 56 of the upper wall 52 forms a nozzle or spout 58, of substantial area, said spout serving to discharge a portion of the flushing water into the bowl l2.

from above the water level thereof and'also to effect a scouring of the rear portion of the said bowl. Spout 58 serves importantly as a means whereby atmospheric air may be introduced into the chamber 44 under any and all conditions of sub-atmospheric pressure within the chamber or the piping system communicating therewith.

Preferably, the minimum area of spout 58 and of its communicating passage 54 is at least equal to the maximum effective area of the flushing water system. In the embodiment illustrated, the last mentioned area will be that of the flushomet'er valve port 32.

It is important, and a feature of this invention, that the lowest point of discharge spout 58 be sufliciently above the maximum overflow spill level 40 to prevent the sucking or siphonage of and/or effluent level condition within the system. Such distance between discharge 58 and maximum overflow level 40 is dependent on several factors, such as the effective area of the flushing Water inlet, possible conditions of displacement or wave formation of the overflow spill level, relation of the fixture spout with respect to a wall of the fixture-4n this instance the wall 46-and the specific gravity of the efiluent. For example,.

should the area of valve opening 32 be .304 square incha normal size for the purpose illustrated the spouteffluent into the chamber 44 under any pressure flushing water beyond the confines of the defecator It may be prevented.

, It will be noted, also, that such forwardly extending walls 48, 50 function inherently to guard spout 58 against accidental stoppage from foreign bodies which may rest or be placed on the rim of the bowl, for it will be apparent that any foreign body small enough to enter the space between walls 48 and 50 will either drop into the bowl or be ejected from such position by water discharge through spout 58 at the first flushing operation.

Thus it becomes apparent that adequate pro:

vision is made for the maintenance of balanced pressure between chamber 44 and the atmosphere. Under such conditions of balanced pres-. sure, said balance being effected by the inflow of atmospheric air through passage 54 to chamber 44 in the circumstance of sub-atmospheric pres,-

sure within the chamber, the creation of a si-- phon-creating condition is positively prevented,

and by necessary corollary, siphon-induced flow or cross connection between the defecator Ill and.

flushing water supply 24 can not take place. Balanced pressure conditions will also be maintained with respect to the flushing water system. .;It. is to be noted, however, that regardless of whether such last-mentioned balanced pressure condition is immediately effected, balanced pressure within the chamber 44 takes place instantaneously, thus, as stated, positively precluding cross. connection.

Although my invention has been illustrated in connection with a water c1oset,.it is totbe under:

stood that many other types of defecators 017 similar sanitary receptacles are adaptable to its use.

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim.

In a defecator having a bowl and flushing water passages therefor, said passages having inlet openings disposed at a level beneath the maximum overflow spill level of the bowl, a flushing water inlet chamber extending in substantial volume above said maximum overflow spill level and communicating with said flushing water passages for substantially complete drainage into said bowl after each flushing operation, said flushing water inlet chamber having water inlet means disposed at a high point thereof, said chamber being wholly integral with said bowl and defined in part by a front wall comprising a vertical extension of a rear wall of the bowl and a top wall overlying the terminus of said front wall to form a passageway coextensive with the width of the chamber and having an area at least equal to the maximum effective area of the flushing water piping system, said top wall extending forwardly of said front wall and thereupon curving downwardly and rearwardly to define, with said front wall, spout means having a flow area at least equal to the maximum effective area of the flushing water piping system and arranged to discharge flushing water against the rear wall of said bowl from a fixed level substantially above the maximum overflow spill level of the bowl during the flushing operation and to afford a free and unobstructed passage of air into said flushing water inlet chamber and into the flushing water inlet means thereof in the circumstance of negative atmospheric pressure therein, the side walls of said flushing water inlet chamber extending forwardly of said spout means to guard the same against stoppage or obstruction.

WILLIAM C. GROENIGER. 

